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Boom time for the cyberdogs of war

Ben Macintyre

Mercenaries have been in demand since ancient times and the digital age makes them even more valuable

The dogs of war are breeding throughout the world, soldiers of fortune for sale to the highest bidder: highly professional, often ethically unconstrained and, increasingly, digital. The age of the cybermercenary has arrived, the geek for hire in a new kind of computerised warfare.

Last week saw mercenaries fighting on two very different battlefields, one in Syria, the other virtual. Both came out of Russia.

Several hundred Russian mercenaries were involved in the battle over a Syrian oilfield near Deir Ezzor and came under attack from US aircraft, possibly the first direct military confrontation between Americans and Russians since the Vietnam War. The Kremlin has not acknowledged hiring these fighters, but as many as 2,000 Russian mercenaries, perhaps half of the total Russian military contingent,…

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